PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman
Hunter Richards (Durham, Maine) recorded a hat trick and classmate
Colby Walden (Londonderry, N.H.) added four points, but league-leading Western Connecticut State University defeated Plymouth State University, 12-5, to cap an unbeaten Little East Conference (LEC) regular season in men's lacrosse action at Panther Field on Friday afternoon.
The Wolves secured the top seed for next week's LEC Tournament, while Plymouth State's playoff fate hinges on the result of the ongoing Salem State-UMass Boston contest. A Vikings win would eliminate the Panthers from postseason contention, while a Beacons victory would give PSU the fifth seed and set up a first-round matchup with fourth-seeded Keene State on Tuesday (Apr. 28).
The teams battled through a competitive first quarter, but WestConn held the Panthers scoreless in the second and third quarters to pull away. PSU closed the game with three straight goals in the fourth, but the margin was too large to overcome.
Plymouth State closes the regular season 7-8 (3-5 LEC), while WestConn improves to 14-3 (8-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 5, WestConn 12
- Plymouth State (7-8, 3-5 LEC)
- WestConn (14-3, 8-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- WestConn jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening five minutes.
- Plymouth State chipped responded as Richards finished a feed from Walden midway through the quarter, then struck again to cut the deficit to 3-2 after one.
- The Wolves controlled the second quarter, scoring three times to take a 6-2 lead into halftime.
- WestConn extended its advantage in the third and opened the fourth with another tally to push the lead to 12-2.
- Plymouth State answered with a late surge. Walden converted a man-up opportunity before setting up Richards less than 30 seconds later to make it 12-4.
- The Panthers added one more, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.
By the Numbers:
- Walden led the team with four points on two goals and two assists.
- Richards has totaled seven goals over the last two games and recorded his fourth hat trick of the season.
- Senior Brady Hunt (Billerica, Mass.) and sophomore Blake McPherson (Windham, Maine) added assists.
- Freshman Dylan Repassy (Westborough, Mass.) paced the defense with three ground balls and a caused turnover.
- Graduate goalie Ethan Schena (Methuen, Mass.) made 13 saves.
- WestConn went 16-for-17 in clears, secured 35 ground balls and held a 25-14 advantage in shots.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State awaits the result of the Salem State vs. UMass Boston game to determine its postseason fate.
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